Poland to join EU’s PESCO defence initiative: gov’t spokesman

Poland has decided to join a planned European Union military cooperation initiative known as PESCO, the government spokesman said on Friday.

Rafał Bochenek. Photo: P Tracz/KPRM (Public Domain)

Poland will sign up to the new defence pact on Monday, Rafał Bochenek added.

The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) initiative is expected to be formally approved in December to enable EU states to develop joint military capability and hardware.

"Thanks to the fact that Poland is becoming involved in the establishment of the new structure at this early stage, we will be one of its founding nations," Bochenek told Polish Radio’s IAR news agency.

Bochenek also said that Poland's defence policy priority is to work with NATO.

"Cooperation as part of PESCO should in no way be competitive with the Alliance," he added.

More than 20 EU countries have so far said they will join the defence pact, according to reports.